Staff I of the English Wordbook.
Basic abbreviations:
- OE = Old English
- ME = Middle English
- SC = Scots
- WF = West Frish
- NF = North Frish
- SF = Saterlandish Frish
- WLG = West Low Theech
- ELG = East Low Theech
- NL = Netherlandish
- NHG = New High Theech
- IC = Icelandish
- HIC = High Icelandish
- NO = Nornish
- SW = Swedish
- DN = Danish
- MLG = Middle Low Theech
- MNL = Middle Netherlandish
- MHG = Middle High Theech
- OF = Old Frish
- OS = Old Saxish
- OHG = Old High Theech
- ON = Old Norse
- GO = Gottish
- PWG = Or-West-Theedish
- PG = Or-Theedish
For a full list of etymological and other abbreviations used in these wordlists, see: Offshortenings.
| Chancery English | Class | Anglish/English | ||
| Attested | Unattested | |||
| ibex | n | - | firgenbuck (<OE firgenbucca), stonebuck (<NHG Steinbock) | |
| -ic | sfx | -ish, -some, -ly | - | |
| icthyology | n | - | fishlore | |
| idea | n | mind's eye; dream, mark; understanding, belief, thought | thought-drop.
ettling; plan: howe (OE hogian) | |
| identical | adj | alike, selfsame, same; even | - | |
| identify | vb | finger | atoken | |
| identity | n | sameness; selfhood | whoness, whohood | |
| ideology | n | belief | thoughtset, thoughtthede | |
| idiosyncrasy | n | quirk | - | |
| idolize | vb | worship, look up to, bow down before | - | |
| idiom | n | - | folkwording | |
| idiot | n | blockhead, clot, dumbbell, half-wit, fathead, meathead, thickhead | dwease (<OE dwæs) | |
| idol | n | god | wigh (<OE. wīġ) offgod (cf. NHG Abgott, OE. afgod) | |
| idolatry | n | worshipping | wighworthing (<OE wīġweorþung) | |
| idolize | vb | worship, look up to, bow down before | - | |
| i.e. | abbrev. | t.i. ~ that is | - | |
| -ify | afx | be-, -en | -ledge (<OE -læcan) | |
| igloo | n | - | icebergh, icehouse | |
| ignis fatuus | n | will-o-the-wisp | wander light (cf. Du dwaallicht) | |
| ignite | vb | fire, tend, set alight | latch fire | |
| ignorance | n | benightedness, shunning | shunhood, nytenness (<OE nytennes) | |
| ignorant | adj | benighted, unaware, unlearned, unread, untaught | - | |
| ignore | vb | unheed, forget, overlook, slight, slur over | - | |
| iguana | n | - | comb athex (cf. Du. "kamhagedis") | |
| ill-conceived | adj | - | ill-howed | |
| illegal | adj | unlawful, lawless, outlawed | unlet | |
| illegalise | vb | outlaw | - | |
| illegitimate | adj | misbegotten, unfathered, born out of wedlock, ill-gotten, unrightful | - | |
| illuminate | vb/n | brighten, shed light on; bathe, beacon, inlighten; unriddle; foreground, highlight | belighten, onlight, forlighten | |
| illusion | n | daydream; misbelief, old wives' tale | dwild, dwimmer, brainshade (cf. Du. hersenschim) | |
| illustrious | n | - | thrymfast (<OE þrymfæst) | |
| image | n | look alike, ringer, twin: likeness; mind's eye | bilth (<OE biliþe, cf. NHG. Bild, Du.
beeld), betokening, seen | |
| imagination | n | mind's eye, fathoming | moodseave (<OE módsefa), fathomhood | |
| imaginative | adj | thoughtful | weenful, infinding | |
| imagine | vb | fathom, see | reckon (dialect), ween (<OE wénan) | |
| imitate | vb |
ape; copy: follow on the footsteps of, take a leaf out of (someone's) book |
pinchbeck, enliken | |
| imitation | n | - | likeness, fakery | |
| immanent | adj | inbuilt, handwired, inbred | - | |
| immature | adj | youthful, green, flaw, unripe, childish | - | |
| immediately | adv | forthwith, headlong, straight away, at once, now, right now | swithsoon, ayenow, rath(er) | |
| immense | adj | - | eorm (<OE eormen)
unametely (<OE unámetenlic) | |
| immigrant | n | comer, incomer, newcomer, settler | inwanderer (cf. NHG. Einwanderer, Nw. invandrare) | |
| immigration | n | inwandering (cf. NHG Einwanderung) | ||
| imminent | adj | one the way, near-at-hand, nearing, forthcoming, oncoming, upcoming; threatening | unfrothering (cf. Du. onveranderlijk, NHG. unveränderlich) | |
| immoral | adj | dark, evil, rotten, sinful, wicked, wrong, unripe, unfledged, babyish |
thewless, gyltsome | |
| immortal | adj | deathless; everlasting, undying | - | |
| immutable | adj | fixed, hard-and-fast | unwending | |
| impact | n | crash, strike, wallop: mark, sway. hit | thrack | |
| impair | vb | break, cripple, harm, hurt, maim | - | |
| impale | vb | jab | - | |
| impartial | adj | evenhanded, fairminded | unswayed | |
| impasse | n | deadlock, halt, standstill | - | |
| impassive | adj | cold-blooded; deadpan, empty, numb | - | |
| impede | vb | hinder, hold back, hold up, thwart, shackle, stop | - | |
| impenetrable | adj | - | evertight, unthursome | |
| imperative | adj | needed | case: bebidendly (<OE bebeodendlic, cf. Du. gebiedend, NHG. gebieterisch) | |
| imperialism | n | - | anwield, overlordship, rikedom | |
| impertinent | adj | bold; ill bred | ill-thewed | |
| implicate | adj | 2. inweave, twist, writhe | 1. inmeld | |
| implicit | adj | 1. unspoken, wordless, unsaid | 2. couth | |
| implode | vb | - | cleave in | |
| implore | vb | beseech, bid, beg | - | |
| imply | vb | hint, infold | ettle, bysay | |
| impolite | adj | rough, lewd, ill-bred, uncouth, ill-mannered, uncalled-for | ill-thewed | |
| import | vb | - | inferry (calque from Latin in + carry) | |
| importance | n | heft, weightiness, pith, greatness | - | |
| important | adj | big, far-reaching, foremost, outstanding, weighty, earthshattering, great | pithy | |
| importune | adj | - | maghely (<OE ġemāhlīc) | |
| importunity | n | - | magheliness (<OE ġemāhlīcnes) pl: maghelinessa (<OE ġemāhlīcnessa) | |
| impose | vb | lay, put | onset (<OE onsettan) | |
| impossible | adj | hopeless, beyond bearing | unmightly, unmayly (refer to German unmöglich=impossible; "mögen" is the German ethymological correspondence to "may") | |
| impress | vb | gladden | ontrutch (<OE onþryocau, NHG eindruck, cf. Dan. indtryk, Swed. intryck) | |
| impression | n | reckoning | ontrutching | |
| imprint | n | mark, stamp | inthrick | |
| imprison | vb | lock up | haft (<OE hæftan) | |
| impromptu | adj | offhand | - | |
| improper | adj | uncomely, unfit, untoward, unright, wrong, unbecoming | unright | |
| improve(ment) | vb/n | shape up, grow better, help; breakthrough, bettering | forbetter (calque) | |
| improvised | adj | makeshift, offhand | twoth-rigged | |
| impudence | n | cheek | - | |
| impudent | adj | shameless, cheeky | - | |
| impulse | n | boost, goad, yeast; bone, leaning, want | - | |
| impurity | n | lewdness, unfreshness | unswotelness | |
| inadvertent | adj | unwitting | - | |
| inalienable | adj | - | samefast | |
| inane | adj | mindless | - | |
| inanimate | adj | heedingless, still | unbesouled (cf. Du. onbezield) | |
| inappropriate | adj | unbecoming, unfit, untoward | unbeseeming | |
| inaudible | adj | - | unhearsome, swanless, unheard | |
| incalculable | adj | untold | unreckonly | |
| incantation | n | - | galdercwide (<OE galdorcwide) | |
| incarnate | vb | inflesh | - | |
| in case | conj | lest, for fear that, the less | - | |
| inception | n | birth, dawn, outset, kickoff | - | |
| incest | n | - | siblair, siblay, inbreeding, bloodshame (calque) | |
| incident | n | hap, happening | - | |
| incise(sion) | vb/n | cut, slit | snithe(ing) (<OE sniþan, cf. NHG. schneiden) | |
| incisive | adj | cutting | snithing | |
| incite | vb | spur, goad, egg | fuse (<ME fusen) | |
| inclination | n |
leaning, tilt, bowing desire: wish, need, craving, yearning |
- | |
| incline | vb | sway, lower, bow, stoop, tip, lean | - | |
| inclined | adj | given, likely, willing, ready | swayed towards | |
| include | vb | inhold | beget | |
| incompassionate | adj | ruthless, heartless, cold, hard-hearted, cold-hearted | - | |
| incomplete | n | underdone, less than whole, unwhole, underwhole, unfullworked | - | |
| inconsiderate | adj | thoughtless, uncaring, unthinking, careless, ruthless, reckless | - | |
| incorporate | vb | knit, meld, mingle, mix | - | |
| incorrect | adj | wrong, wide of the mark; unfit, untoward; off, unsound, untrue | - | |
| increase | vb | swell up; rise, snowball, oker, build up | wooker (<OE wōcor) formoren (cf. NHG vermehren) | |
| increasingly | adv | more and more, risingly | - | |
| incredible | adj | - | unlieveful | |
| incursion | n | raid, inroad | - | |
| incus | n | anvil | - | |
| indebted | adj | owing, beholden | ||
| indecent | adj | shameless, unseemly, shameful, unsightful | - | |
| indecisive | adj | wavering, in two minds, swithering, halting, half-hearted, half-minded | unmeting | |
| indelicate | adj | heavy handed, stern, gruff | - | |
| independent | adj | free, selfstanding | unonhang (cf. NHG unabhänig, Du. onafhankelijk) | |
| independence | n | freedom | selfhood, selfstanding, unonhangness | |
| India | n | Indland
Ealand (India is ultimately named after the Indus river; Indus comes from Sanskrit síndhu meaning river) | ||
| indicate | vb | bespeak; flag up, betoken, show | ward to | |
| indication | n | hint, clue, mark, inkling | betokening, waywarding | |
| indigent | adj | needy, down at heel | - | |
| indignity | n | brickbat, slap, slight, slur | - | |
| indiscriminated | adj | swoopstake, wholesale, hit-or-miss | allwardly, manywardly | |
| indisposed | adj | 2. unsound, unwell, laid up | 1. unleaning | |
| individual | adj | IDIRECTLY = asidely (attested) | onelepy (<OE ánlípe, ánlípig) | |
| individual | n | - | onelepy, onelepling (<OE ánlípe "individual" + -ling, cf. the general form of Ic./Far. einstaklingur), one, yea-one | |
| individualism | n | selfdom | - | |
| indocrinate | vb | brainwash | mindwash | |
| indolent | adj | idle, shiftless, slothful, lazy | lat (<OE læt) | |
| induce | vb | beget, breed, draw on, set off, give rise to, make, bring out, bring, lead to, enkindle, whip up | beway (cf. NHG bewegen) | |
| indulgence | n | kindness |
milts, foregiveness (<OE); religion: offlet (cf. NHG Ablass) | |
| industry | n | - | bulkbuildship, worksomeness | |
| industrial action | n | strike | - | |
| industrious | adj | yielding, working | - | |
| inebriated | adj | drunk, smashed, blasted, baked, half-cut, hopped up | - | |
| ineffable | adj | nameless, unspeakable | - | |
| ineffective | adj | hamstrung, bad | fremeless | |
| inept | adj | clueless, unhandy, clumsy, bad | - | |
| inert | adj | still, lifeless, idle, undoing, bloodless | unshrithing | |
| inexperienced | adj | unfledged, callow, raw, green | - | |
| infamous | adj | shameful, ill-named, unworthy | - | |
| infamy | n | shamefulness, lowstanding, ill-name, bad name | unar (<OE ár 'honour') | |
| infancy | n | bairnhood, childhood | - | |
| infant | n | newborn, toddler, suckling | - | |
| infanticide | n | - | bairnslaughter | |
| infantile | adj | childish | bairnsome | |
| infantilize | vb | - | bechild | |
| infatuate | vb | makes one lust | - | |
| infatuation | n | lust | - | |
| infect | vb | - | smittel | |
| infection | n | - |
insmiting of the ear: earcothe (<OE ēarcoðu) | |
| infectious | adj | catching, spreading | smittelsome | |
| infer | vb | deem, gather, make out, see | ettel | |
| inferior | n/adj | lower, nether; mean; shoddy, worse | - | |
| infernal | adj | fiendish, hellish, wicked, underhanded, evil, ill, hateful, all-fired | - | |
| inferno | n | hell, hellfire, fire | - | |
| infertile | adj | barren, unbearing | geld, unteeming, untudderfast | |
| infidelity | n | backstabbing, sellout, two-timing | wedbreach | |
| infinite | adj | boundless, endless, everlasting, never-ending, timeless, unbounded, unmetely, unrim, untold, without end | allish | |
| infinitive | n | - | unendingly (<OE ungeendigendlic) | |
| infinity | n | everlasting, foreverness | - | |
| infirmed | adj | sickly, unhealthy, wanhale | - | |
| inflammation | n | burning, redness, soreness, swelling, itch | betindering (cf. Dn. 'betændelse') | |
| inflate | vb | blow up, fill | forblow, andblow (cf. Ic. and-blásinn) | |
| influence | vb | inflow, sway, shape | - | |
| inflict | vb | lay on, wreak, meat or deal out, deal | - | |
| influx | n | inflow | - | |
| infographic | n | - | knowbilthish (knowledge + Yiddish 'bilderish') | |
| informal | adj | loose | - | |
| informant | n | deep throat, fink, nark, snitcher, telltale, whistleblower | teller | |
| information | n | knowledge, tidings | knowhood | |
| infringement | n | lawbreaking | ||
| infuriate | adj | foaming, shirty, teed-off, wroth, madden | - | |
| infuse | vb | inset, input, inlay | inbirl | |
| ingenious | adj | clever | orthankly (<OE orþanclic), overmindle | |
| ingenuity | n | cleverness | orthink, overmind | |
| ingest | vb | tuck, down, swallow | - | |
| inhabit | vb | dwell, abide, wone in, inwone, live in | alive, erde, bewone, ern | |
| inhabitance | n | abode, dwelling | erding (erding in sorrow), erdingstow, inwoning, erning | |
| inhabitant | n | dweller, abider |
indweller (Scots) erd-folk, bewoner, inwoner, ern-folk (<OE ærn 'house, habitation') | |
| inhale | vb | breathe in, draw in, suck | - | |
| inherent | adj | built-in, inborn, inbred, indwelling | - | |
| inherit | vb | get | erve (<OE ierfian) | |
| inheritance | n | birthright | erve (<OE ierfe), ervewardness (<OE ierfeweardnes), earf, earfdeal, ervedeal, birthright, birthdom, birth-hood | |
| inimical | adj | foesome, harmful, unfriendly | - | |
| initial | adj | first, beginning, early | - | |
| initiate | vb | start, begin, bring on, bring up, goad, spur | - | |
| injection | n | jab | inshot, needleprick | |
| injure | vb | harm, hurt, wound | dere (<OE derian, archaic ME dere) | |
| ink | n | black (It's attested, the color was "swarth", and it is still used in Scandenavia for "ink") | - | |
| innate | adj | built-in, hardwired, inbred | - | |
| innocence | n | greenness, guiltlessness, youth | bilewitness | |
| innocent | adj | sinless, white | unshildy, bilewit (<OE bile-wit) | |
| innocuous | adj | white, hurtless | - | |
| innovation | n | brainchild | newmaking | |
| innovative | adj | clever, groundbreaking | infinding | |
| innovator | n | groundbreaker, trendsetter | newmaker | |
| inquire | vb | into: dig into, delve into, delve into, ask | frayn (<OE fregen) | |
| insane | adj | bats, mad, having a screw loose, out of one's mind | - | |
| inscribe | vb | inwrite, write | - | |
| insect | n | bug | midge (<OE mygg, mycg) widge, wig (<OE wicga, cf. earwig) carvedeer (<OE ceorfdēor, NHG kerbtier, LG karvdeer) | |
| insensitive | adj | unfeeling, unfeelsome, heartless | - | |
| inseparable | adj | bound (up), hand-in-hand, forever one, thick | unshedsome | |
| insert | vb | input, inset, put, put in, place | - | |
| insincere | adj | hollow, hollow-hearted, unsoothfast, unsoothful, untruthfast, untruthsome | unluter (OE hlutor) | |
| insist | vb | stand one's ground | bestand (cf. NHG bestehen) | |
| insomnia | n | sleeplessness | - | |
| inspect(ion) | vb/n | inlook(ing) | speering | |
| inspiration | n | brainchild, brainwave | inblowing beghastness, inbreath, insouling | |
| inspire | vb | beghast | inblow (<OE inblowan) | |
| instance | n | hap | - | |
| instantly | adv | at once, forthwith, swith, now, right now | - | |
| instigate | vb | fire up, goad, kindle, rouse, stir up, spur | fuse (<ME fusen) | |
| institute | vb | set up | stight, onstall | |
| institution | n | body | - | |
|
instruct |
vb | teach; wise up, tell what to do | beleer | |
|
instruction(s) |
n | behest, word |
wiseheedings, forewritings outlay (cf. Du uitleg) | |
| instrument | n | tool, means | harp (<OE) | |
| insult | n | slight, slur, lambast, roast | heash | |
| insurance | n | - | healing (<OE helan 'to cover')
munding (<OE mundian 'to protect, shelter, guard') berging (<OE beorgan ' to save, preserve') | |
| insurgent | n/adj | red, upriser | - | |
| insurrection | n | uprising, outbreak | - | |
| integer | n | whole tel; being | - | |
| intellectual | n | egghead, highbrow, longhair | - | |
| intellectual | adj | highbrowed, long-haired | capacity: anget | |
| intelligence | n | brains; keenness, wit, braininess, brightness, cleverness |
anget (<OE andgiet) forwittleness (<OE forwitolnes) moodcraft (<OE módcræft) orthank (<OE orþanc) rede (<OE rǽd) (reason) snitter (<OE snyttru) | |
| intelligent | adj | brainy, bright, clever, nimble, keen, sharp-witted, gaumish | andgetful (<OE andgitful)
moodcrafty (<OE módcræftig) wisefast (<OE wísfæst) | |
| intelligible | adj | - | fathomsome | |
| intend | vb | look, mean | mint, ettle | |
| intense | adj | fearful; warm-blooded, frought | - | |
| intention | n | - |
ettling ontyghting (<OE ontyhtung) | |
| inter | vb | lay, put away | - | |
| inter- | pfx | between- | middle- (<OE "middel") tween- | |
| interact | vb/n | n: dealings | withwork | |
| intercede | vb | - | inbreak | |
| intercept | vb | block, pick off |
fang off (cf. NHG abfangen), forride (<OE forrīdan) | |
| interdict | vb | forbid | - | |
| interfere | vb | nose, pry | inbreach | |
| intergovernmental | adj | - | tweenredeshiply | |
| interjection | n | inset | tweenlaying (cf. Ælfric's OE betwuxlegednes) | |
| interest | vb | grip |
indraw, inwrap, intryst (phonosemantic calque) | |
| interest | n | share, stake; weal, well-being; business, outfit, reck, lean | fascination: wastomschat (<OE wæstmsceatt), intryst (phonosemantic calque), indrawnness, indraw | |
| interesting | n | gripping | heeding, indrawing, mindwheting
intrysting (phonet. calque) | |
| interim/interval | n | midtime, (long) far-between, midwhile | - | |
| interior | n | inside, inner, inliness | - | |
| intermediary | n | go-between | - | |
| intermission | n | break | tweentide, tweenforletness (OE) | |
| intern | n | inworker | - | |
| internal | adj | inland, inner, inner-bodily, inside | twixfack (OE) | |
| international | n/adj | lands amongst |
altheedish | |
| Internet | n | the World Wide Web, Web, the Wired | twixtnet | |
| interpol | n | worldwatcher | - | |
| interpret | vb | 1. unriddle 2. play | 1. sweetle | |
| interrogate | vb | ask (about) | befrayn (cf. NHG befragen), meanask | |
| interrupt | vb | break in, cut in | break off (cf. Fr. ôfbrekke, Sw. avbryta, Dn. afbryde) | |
| interruption | n | breather | - | |
| intervention | n | - | inbreak | |
| interview | n | - | fraynspeak (cf. Du. vraagesprek) | |
| intestine | n | tharm, gut | - | |
| intimacy | n | warmth, warm friendship, near friendship | - | |
| intimidate | vb | besmallen, scare, frighten, overawe | - | |
| intoxicate | vb | - | bedrunken (cf. NHG betrunken) | |
| intoxicating | adj | heady, breathtaking, heart-stopping, stirring | - | |
| intoxication | n | drunkenness; cloud nine | bedrunkenhood (cf. NHG Betrunkenheit) | |
| introduce | vb | bring up, set forth, put forward; lead in; make known | - | |
| introduction | n | lead-in | - | |
| introverted | n | - | ingoing, inwardsome | |
| inundate | vb | flood, whelm, overwhelm | beyeat (<OE begieten) | |
| invade | vb | - | infall, overrun, inthring, thrust upon | |
| invader | n | - | overrunner | |
| invaluable | adj | - | yealief, yeadear, uncheap, forworthy | |
| invariably | adv | always | - | |
| invasion | n | raid | infall, herefare, inslaught, streaming, inthrong, inthronging | |
| invent | vb | make up, make |
infind afind (calque of NHG erfinden) | |
| invention | n | - |
findle (<OE findel), fyndelle (<OE fyndele) | |
| inventor | n | - |
infinder, afindand (<OE onfindend) | |
| inventory | n | goodslist | - | |
| invertebrate | vb | unbackboned | - | |
| invest | vb | plough into | - | |
| investigate | vb | sift |
speer (cf. OE spyrian "make a track, go, pursue; ask about, investigate"), nease, unwhelm, underseek | |
| investigator | n | - | speeriand (cf. OE spyrigend "investigator, inquirer"), underseeker | |
| investigation | n | - | speering, neasing, underseeking | |
| investor | n | shareholder, stakeholder | - | |
| inveterate | adj | abiding, deep-rooted, deep-seated, hardened, lifelong, long-lived, settled | - | |
| inviolable | adj | hallowed, holy | - | |
| invisible | adj | - | unseen | |
| invitation | n | - | inloading (<OE laðung, NHG Einladung) | |
| invite | n/vb | - | load, inload (<OE inlaðian, NHG einladen) | |
| involve | vb | take in, whelm | inhold | |
| ion | n | - | streammote | |
| ionosphere | n | - | streamlayer | |
| iota | n | beans, whit | - | |
| ipseity | n | ass, selfhood | - | |
| irascible | adj | prickly, feisty, edgy, churlish, bearish, outburstish, highly-strung, wrathy, wrongheaded, crankisome | uncweming | |
| ire | n | wrath | - | |
| iris | n | eyebow | - | |
| irony | n | - wry | witherweening (logical combining of wither "anti" and weening "expectation"), wrying | |
| irregular | adj | broken, uneven | wending, frothering | |
| irrelevant | n/adj | without bearing, bearingless, unakinly | unbearing | |
| irresponsible | adj | reckless, heedless, careless, thoughtless, unmindful, unthinking, unanswerly | - | |
| irrigate | vb | - | beflow, bewater furrow: waterleat | |
| irritate (vex) | vb | irk, gall | - | |
| irritating | adj | irksome, swinksome | - | |
| ischium | n | sea-bone | - | |
| -ise | sfx | ledge (<OE -læcan), -ly | - | |
| isle | n | island, holm | iland, aitland, ait, eyot, ealand | |
| islet | n | ait, eyot, iling | holm | |
| -ism | sfx | - | general abstractum: -dom
general belief system or school of thought: -belief (cf. NHG -glaube) political doctrine/policy: -belead (cf. Du. beleid) belief system associated with a person, place, etc.: -ishness, -ish belief belief system as a religious or political establishment/realm: -dom belief as faith: -troth | |
| isobar | n | - | evenheavy | |
| isocracy | n | - | evenship | |
| isolate | vb | cut off, sunder | cleave off | |
| isolation | n | loneliness, alonehood, asideness | forlettenhood (cf. NHG Verlassenheit), only-edoffness, offonly-edness | |
| item | n | thing | - | |
| itinerary | n | - | forebook (<OE fōrbōc/forbōc) pl: forebeek (<OE fōrbēc/forbēc) | |
| ivory | n | tusk | elpbone (cf. NHG Elfenbein,) | |
| Ivory Coast | n | - | Windward Shore | |
| -ize | sfx | -en | -ledge (<OE -læcan) | |